Natalia Olshanskaya, 1949-2016
Tribute to Professor of Russian Natalia Olshanskaya
On Jan. 30, 2016, a memorial service was held for Natalia “Natasha” Olshanskaya P'04, an 18-year member of Kenyon’s modern languages and literatures faculty. For the service and over the following months, Kenyon alumni, current students, faculty and staff have shared memories of the much-loved professor of Russian.
Kenyon Mourns Professor Natalia Olshanskaya
Jan. 21, 2016
Natalia “Natasha” Olshanskaya P’04, an 18-year member of Kenyon’s modern languages and literatures (MLL) faculty, died Wednesday, Jan. 20. The much-loved professor of Russian, who had been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, was 66. Read more
A Personal Remembrance — Paul Gebhardt, associate professor of German
"She demonstrated that it was okay to throw the full weight of who you are behind what you are doing. Beyond the immense sense of loss, that is how I will remember Natasha." Read more | Read his remarks to the MLL faculty
In Memory of Professor Olshanskaya — Phillip Gray Clark '17
"These few words don’t even begin to encapsulate the woman that Professor Olshanskaya was. Her love of her craft, her students and Kenyon was clear to me from the moment I met her. The joy she inspired in her students and the relationship I had with her make this passing so hard. По вам будут скучать." Read more
Professor Olshanskaya — Sarah Lass '13
"What I see in each of my precious interactions with her is not only her belief in the excellence of her students, but also her incredible care for us. She was so gentle, and yet so strong. She believed in me more than I often believed in myself." Read more
In Memory and Celebration — James McGavran '02, assistant professor of Russian
"Let my letter to Natasha be a thank-you note, an expression of filial love and gratitude to my Russian mother, a testament to the enduring connections she made among us, and one of her own trademark scoffs — "I mean, excuse me!" — directed against the finality of her parting." Read more | Read his citation for Professor Olshanskaya's honorary degree
For Professor Olshanskaya — Leah Missik '10
"She knew us so well. She is what made my Kenyon experience. It is Kenyon that embodies her values for those of us who grew under her tutelage. Professor Olshanskaya is, and always will remain, an unencompassable force." Read more
The Only One Who Mattered — Jeremy Stern '11
"I wanted to ... tell her everything: that she was the principle author of the person I became; that she was the ballast on which I stood; that from a self-important daydreaming child she wrung a deeper passion for life than I ever thought possible."
Read more
The Natalia Olshanskaya Scholarship in Russian Studies
Professor Natalia Olshanskaya's colleagues in the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures have joined with her family and with alumni in seeking to honor her legacy through an endowed scholarship fund to support off-campus study of Russian language and culture. To date, nearly 200 donors have contributed more than $51,000 to the Olshanskaya Scholarship.
The scholarship will help defray students’ travel and other logistical expenses, whether they’re studying abroad or pursuing Russian studies in a summer language program in the United States. At its current level, the endowment will generate $2,000 to $2,400 per year. The College welcomes additional donations so as to increase this support.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Natalia Olshanskaya Scholarship in Russian Studies in care of the Office of Development, 105 Chase Ave., Gambier, Ohio 43022-9623, or online at gift.kenyon.edu.